Arab Reform Forum

The Arab Reform Forum was established on the recommendation of the "Arab Reform Issues: Vision and Implementation", held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina 12-14 March 2004. The conference was organized under the auspices of H.E President Hosni Mubarak with the participation of several Arab civil society organizations representing eighteen Arab countries . The conference was organized with the co-sponsorship of the Arab Academy for Science & Technology, the Arab Business Council, the Arab Women Organization, the Economic Research Forum and the Arab Organization for Human Rights. The "Alexandria Declaration", issued by the conference, crystallized a genuine Arab vision of reform and its priorities.

The " Alexandria Declaration" addresses four main categories of reform: political, economic, social and cultural, as well as proposals for follow-up and implementation mechanisms. The Declaration, embracing the input of all participants, called for the practice of true democracy. The Egyptian President's Opening Speech confirmed the necessity of a partnership between governments and civil societies, ensuring pluralism and mutual respect for dialogue in the interest of the homeland.

A consultative committee that included senior Arab figures in the political, economic and civil society fields supported the conference and some of its members participated in the discussion forums.

The preparatory committee of the conference established this Internet website in its efforts to emphasize the necessity of follow-up mechanisms in setting up an Arab Reform Forum that is mainly concerned with reform issues in Egypt and the Arab World.

The Arab Reform Forum aims to:

•  Popularize the Arab Reform Vision, as crystallized by the conference

•  Strengthen the vision by providing more research and discussion

•  Establish a network of stakeholders for issues of Arab reform and facilitate communication among parties on the Internet, through this website

•  Put in action the activities and contributions of the Arab civil society, giving it a more active role in achieving reforms through a partnership between Arab governments and civil society.